Razor blade holder



Aug. 9, 1949.

F. B. SHEPARD ET AL RAZOR BLADE HOLDER Filed DeC. 4, 1945 Patented Aug. 9, 1 949 RAZOR BLADE HOLDER Frank B. Shepard and Neal D. Shepard, `Texon, Tex.

Application December 4, 1945, serial No. 632,627 2 claims. (o1. 30-330) This invention relates generally to the class of cutlery and pertains particularly to improvements in blade holding devices or handles and particularly a handle for holding a double-edged razor blade.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a blade holder for a double-edged safety razor blade wherein the blade will be eectively held in a prescribed position so that it may be readily sharpened by strapping or it may be used for cutting purposes so that the holding device or handle together with the removable blade provides a convenient knife.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety razor blade holding device or handle which is formed of two relatively long members disposed in superimposed relation and pivotally coupled together substantially midway between their ends, the portions of the two long members at one end forming together a convenient hand grip while the portions at the opposite end are substantially interlocked and securely maintain the blade in a position where a relatively narrow portion along one cutting edge is exposed for use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein novel means is employed for facilitating the ready pivotal movement of one member relative to the other for opening and releasing the blade holding portion.`

Still another object of the invention is to provide a double-edged safety razor blade holder of the character stated wherein novel means is employed for releasably holding the two portions of the holder in blade holding position, such holding means being made effective by the inherent resiliency of the superimposed members to releasably hold such members in blade holding or in closed position.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying rawing forming a part of the specification, With the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing.

Figure l is a View in side elevation of the blade holder forming the present invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially is thickened at the head end as indicated at' I2, 15,

on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 with said portions not falling within the line of section, broken away to show details of construction.

y Figure 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly'to the drawing it will be seen that the blade holding device comprises essentially the two relatively long members I0 and II which when in Yblade holding` position are disposed one upon and parallel with the other.

One of the members, here shown as the member I0, is of greater length than the other and which thickened portion has the inner edge I3 thereof extending obliquely across the portion I0 and undercut as illustrated in FigureZ.

substantially midway between the ends of the` z`two members Il! and Il, the members .are per- ,halves of which it is made up and which are designated I 0' and II', parallel at their opposing faces and tapered upon the outer faces so that the back edges of the two portions I0 and II are of greater thickness as indicated at Ill" and II" than they are at the forward edges thereby making the entire head portion I5 of greater thickness at the back and gradually decreasing thickness toward the forward edge; At

the forward edge of the head the tworportion's I 0' and II' have their inner corners rounded` as indicated at Il andl I8 and the forward edge suitably formed to enter the slots or openings 2 I,

which are commonly provided in double-edged safety razor blades, such, for example, as a safety razor blade of the Gillette type.

As shown in Figure 1 the portions I 0 and I I' are of greater width than the two portions.

of the members I Il and Il making up the hand grip I6 but the excess width of the portions l0' and II' is entirely at one edge, that is, the forward edge, of the device so that the line of the blade holder at the back edge is straight from one end of the device to the other.

The two portions of the device making up the hand grip I6 are designated I6a and ith and each of these portions has secured thereto upon its outer face, a handle plate 22.

At their outer ends the handle portions are cut off obliquely along the lines 23, the oblique edge of one portion being disposed oppositely to the oblique edge of the opposite portion so that there are thus formed the tapered tail pieces 24 which, when gripped at their opposite edgesr between the fingers, may be pressed together to effect the pivotal movement of the two members I and I I on the pivot I4, thereby bringing about a separation of the head portions ID and II and the opening of the head for the insertion of a blade between such head portions. Y

One of the handle portions, here shown as the portion Ia, is provided upon its inner race and at its longitudinal center, with. a shallow depression or recess 25 of circular formv while the opposing portion carries the relatively fiat button 2% upon its inner face, which is adapted to enter the recess 25 when the two handle portions are. in parallel relation.

The two members I D and I I Yare formed of steel, preferably, or of any other suitable resilient ma=l terial and consequently there is enough spr' in the material forming the handie portions and |617 to allow the portion carrying the recess4 25 to spring outwardly or ride over the button 2S'until the button comes into position to enter the recess whereupon the resiliency of the por tion will cause it to move back into place in parallel relation with the opposing handie portion.

Between the portions I0 and .I I', making up the head I5, aclearance space Z'e'lisy provided, `oi suilicient width to receive a double-edged safety razor blade, so that when-such blade is placed in position upon that face of the head portion I' carrying the lugs 2.0 and -the two portions of the head are Vswung into parallel relation so that the inclined or beveled edge .28 of the shorter head portion l0' engages under the undercut edge I3, the blade will be. tightly gripped between. the two head portions and due to the undercut of the edge I3 andthe engagement thereaga-inst of thebeveled edge 28, the two head portions are eectiveiy held against separation. Since the co-acting edges I3 and 28 are also disposed obliquely across the head it will be seen that in bringing the two head portions into closed position they will be automatically stopped when they reach a parallel relation.

Due to the tapering thickness of the portions |70 and II of the head I5, which Athickness also tapers oi to the thickness of the members7 l?! and Il through .the handle. portion, adjacent to the pivot I4, it will be seen that each side of the holding `device has an inclined surface, here des-- ignated 29, against which a iinger of the hand may rest when using the blade holder as a knife or for the stropping of a blade.

In Figure 2 a blade is Vshown in position and is designated 30 and in Figure 3 such blade is shown in broken lines. It will be readily apparent that by providing a relatively wide amount of material between the forward edge of the head and the 'lugs 20 there will not be such an excessive amount of blade exposed as to make its use as a cutting element impractical or difcult. Also by tapering the two sides of the head and extending the cutting edge of the blade to the proper extent the blade will be maintained at the proper angle for sharpening or stropping when the delvice is moved over the surface of a strop with the inclined outer side of the head in position thereon.

We claim:

1. A razor blade holder comprising,r two relatively long members of approximately equal length having opposing iiat inner faces and disposed in parallel juxtaposition when in use, a pivot coupling between the members substantially upon the longitudinal centers of the same and .substantially midway between the ends, said members being of materially greater width than thickness, means forming an interlocking con nection between two adjacent ends of the memw bers, the portion of the two members between the interlocking means and the pivot forming a head which is tapered in thickness from one lon-- gitudinal edge to the opposite edge, one oi the members in the head portion having a pair of recesses formed in the longitudinal edge thereoi at the thinner edge of the head, a pail.` of lugs carried by the other member in the head portion and projecting from the inner face thereof and formed to enter said recesses, the head portion being wider than the portion of the members at the opposite side of the pivot from the head, the portions of the members lying between the pivot and the ends thereof remote from the head together forming a hand grip, each or the last named ends of the members having an end edge extending obliquely across the width thereof to form a taring tail piece, the oblique end edge of one member crossing the oblique end edge oi one member crossing the oblique end edge of the other member whereby the application 0i compressive force against the remote outer edges of the members at the tail pieces effects the relative pivotal movement of the members about seid pivot and the separation of the two portionsI of the members through the head end of the device, and means interposed between said opposing flat faces for yieldingly maintaining the inembers in parallel relation.

2. `A blade holding device of the character stated in claim 1, in which said yieldable means comprises a relatively iiat button formed upon one of the said opposing at faces and a recess formed in the other opposing iiat face to receive the button, the said members being of a character to have suflcient resiliency to be sprung apart for the passage of the button across the op posing member face for engagement in or disengagement from the recess.

FRANK B. SHEPARD. NEAL D. SHEPARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,436,740 Wesson Nov. 23, 1922 1,607,160 Joy Nov. 16, 1926 2,191,276 Gardner et al Feb. 20, 1940 

